Army helicopter crash victim from Triangle

Man one of six service members killed Tuesday when their Blackhawk helicopter went down in Afghanistan.

December 19, 2013 12:36:17 PM PST

RALEIGH --

ABC11 has learned that one of six service members who died in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan Tuesday is from Johnston County.

Sources say Sgt. Chris Bohler was a helicopter crew chief with the U.S. Army. Boehler's Facebook page says he attended South Johnston High School in Four Oaks and went on to Johnston Community College.

He was currently based at Fort Riley, Kansas, but also spent time at Fort Bragg.

Bohler was the oldest son of Deborah Bohler, who was an employee of the Wake County Court system, and Chris was following in his father's footsteps with a career in the military.

"Throughout the courthouse, I mean, it's clerks, law enforcement people, and judges and prosecutors and lawyers, they all, we all live together as a little family, a little culture up here, and when something touches someone it touches everyone," said Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby. "And it will overshadow the holiday for a lot of folks."

Military officials said one person on board the Black Hawk UH-60 that went down Tuesday was injured and survived.

A statement issued by the NATO international military coalition said the crash was under investigation and that there was no insurgent activity in the area at the time of the crash.

In Washington, an official originally said the helicopter had experienced engine failure before the crash, but later said that it was unclear whether that was the case. According to initial reports, the troops had mechanical problems, came under fire after the crash and it was unclear whether any of the casualties were the result of enemy fire.

The deputy governor of southern Zabul province, Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar, said a NATO helicopter crashed in the remote district of Shajau and U.S. officials later confirmed that Zabul was the location of the U.S. crash.

This year, 109 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, out of a total of 139 members of the coalition.